Donald Trump showers Lavish Praise on Pakistan

December 1, 2016
By Saeed Qureshi

Unpredictability is one of the glaring traits of United States’ president-elect Donlad Trump. He vehemently opposed the Obamacare during the electioneering campaigning and announced to rescind it if elected as the president. He categorically spoke against the Latinos, Muslims and immigrants. He even castigated Pakistan in these words, “Get it straight: Pakistan is not our friend. We’ve given them billions and billions of dollars, and what did we get? Betrayal and disrespect — and much worse”. He promised to build a wall between Mexico and United States and so on.

But all of sudden, he seems to be cautious and sober. Those issues seem to be nonexistent and taken out of his litany of tasks. He is talking of unity and togetherness among the sections of society differing from each other on the basis of color, race and religion. He seems to have settled down and his aggressiveness and tempestuous rhetorical outburst appear to be transformed into saner and guarded and placatory statements and outpourings.

In the first place with a backlog of many scandals and a person who is a cut and dried businessman with billions of dollars asserts and cash, prevailed and won in the political arena. His venomous remarks and vilifications of his opponents and distractors have gone with the electoral winds, He is a totally different Donald Trump, taking caution even in picking his cabinet members and appointments of high executive positions.

His latest telephonic conversation with the prime minister of Pakistan is a display of high caliber diplomacy, sobriety and statesmanship.  Not even the friendliest presidents of USA to Pakistan have ever paid such rich and unalloyed tributes to the people of Pakistan, the prime minister and displayed an unconditional resolve to work with Pakistan.
 
He has been extremely generous and full of praise for the Pakistan as well as its people and leadership, let me quote what he said in his conversation. In that he said: “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif you have a very good reputation. You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to see you soon. As I am talking to you Prime Minister, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long. Your country is amazing with tremendous opportunities. Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people. I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time even before 20th January that is before I assume my office.”

He readily accepted the offer of prime minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Pakistan by saying, “I would love to come to a fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people. Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people”

This conversation cannot be a display of mockery or subterfuge for the simple reason that he doesn’t need to do it. In the first instance, he could have refused or postponed talking to Pakistan’s prime minister which he had earlier looked upon as a state sponsoring terrorism. It is certainly a transformation of mindset that if sustained would be extremely helpful in further cementing the ties between two traditional friends.
 
In the light of his most friendly and plausible opinion about Pakistan, one may hope that Pakistan would still be treated as a dependable ally and both the countries would join in mitigating the interstate tension in the sub-continent particularly between India and Pakistan and beyond that in the Middle East where Pakistan enjoys a great reservoir of goodwill.
 
Republicans traditionally have been friendly towards Pakistan. Pakistan played an historic role in joining the coalition forces to fight the Taliban and other radical forces in Afghanistan. In this decade, long war with Al-Qaida and other radical militants who wanted to establish a radical empire starting from Afghanistan to the middle east Pakistan suffered enormously.

Right or wrong or under pressure Pakistan agreed to play the role that caused untold sufferings to Pakistan and its people. One of the most disastrous fallout was that Pakistan itself became target of the terrorism that is still apace. The fundamentalist bands are bent upon wreaking havoc in Pakistan through terrorist attacks, sporadic bomb blasts and attacking schools and military installations.
The colossal sufferings that Pakistan endured were the spillover of the war in Afghanistan triggered by the western countries spearheaded by the United states. Pakistan is still faced with looming threat to it internal peace and solidarity from the religious warriors.

All these gory facets harming Pakistan in all manners must be taken into consideration by United States and the western allies. The United States under Donald Trump and non-traditional political figure is in the best position to acknowledge and appreciate the historic role of liberating the Caucuses of Central Asia namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and even Afghanistan from the yoke of Soviet Union. Pakistan can demonstrate goodwill and cordiality and both the countries can work to combat the indigenous terrorism.

Hopefully there would not be any breach or friction between the cardinal relations between the two countries. On the contrary one can hope these would prosper and flower under Donald trump presidency who is appreciative and aware of the regional importance of Pakistan in that part of the world.
  
It would be historic if president Trump stands by his words spoken to the prime minister of Pakistan and I quote, “I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time even before 20th January that is before I assume my office.”